Bassinet



Aug. 24, 1954 E. E. LA VIIGNE BASSINET Filed Aug. 6, 1952 IIIQVVENTOR.

v7 EUG-ENE E. LAVIGNE H z; QW w Patented Aug. 24, 1954 BASSINET Eugene E. La Vigne, Creve Coeur, Mo., assignor to A. S. Aloe Company,

tion of Missouri Louis, Mo., a corpora- Application August 6, 1952, Serial No. 302,864

5 Claims.

This invention relates to hospital equipment and, more particularly, to a certain new invention in bassinets which incorporate a dressing stand.

Heretofore hospital nurseries have utilized bassinets for newly born babies which consist solely of a preferably metal basket normally disposed in immediate side-by-side relations to adjacent bassinets. With bassinets of this type, it is requisite, for dressing purposes, that nursery attendants remove the babies to a common dressing table from the bassinet for change of diapers, replacement of bandages, and the like. This procedure entails a change of dressing table cover and the provision of clean materials before each dressing operationin order to avoid any spread of infection. Unfortunately, in times of heavy activity such precautions are often overlooked, and the transmittance of infection, such as im petigo, respiratory diseases, and others, is facilitated within the nursery with consequent disquieting results.

Therefore, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide a bassinet which integrally incorporates a dressing stand so that each baby may be attended to without removal to a common dressing table.

It is a further object of the presentinvention to provide a bassinet of the type stated which embodies upwardly extending, transparent wall members to provide insulation from babies in adjacent bassinets tothereby diminish the spread of air-borne diseases, as well as to provide a clear view of the interior of the bassinet from any angle so that attendants at relatively remote parts of the nursery can determine the disposition of the baby therein.

Itis a further object of the present invention to provide a bassinet having a baby support which may be tilted by readily actuated mechan ical means for presenting the baby thereon for mucous drainage.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a bassinet which, as a new article of manufacture, embodies storage space for blankets, dressings, and the like, as well as medications, so that each baby may be cared for with its individual equipment immediately avai1- able.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a bassinet, which is economically and sturdily manufactured from preferably aluminum and stainless steel; which is so constructed as to be highly durable in usage; and which by its utilization substantially diminishes the possibility of cross infection.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts presently described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bassinet constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is an elevational view;

Figure 3 is a top plan view;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 5 -55 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view taken along line l56 of Figure 4; and

Figure 7 is a transverse sectional View taken along line 1--1 of Figure 2.

Referring now to the drawing which illustrates the preferred embodiment of the present invention, A designates a bassinet having a main frame I of preferably welded, tubular aluminum construction comprising corner-forming front posts 2, 3, and rear posts 4, 5, having their lower ends curved inwardly with posts 2, 4, and 3, 5, being rigidly secured to parallel transverse bars 5, l', respectively. Mounted at opposite ends of each of the bars 6, I, are ball-bearing casters 8 provided with foot-operated brake members 9. Welded to the bars 5, 1, intermediate their lengths for extensions therebetween is a brace Ill.

The front posts 2, 3, adjacent their upper ends are arcuated as at II, l2, respectively, and are thence directed transversely rearwardly to provide top side members 83, I4, respectively, which at their ends are afiixed to the upper ends of posts 4, 5, respectively. Connecting the said upper ends of rear posts 4, 5, is a horizontal frame member I5 having its upper surface in planar alignment with those of side members I3, I 4. Interconnectingly providedbetween the posts 2, ii, 5, are planar-aligned front and rear horizontal bars I6, i6, and side bars I7, I 8, in downwardly spaced relation to the side members I3, I4, and frame member I5. Parallel to, and upwardly of, front horizontal bar It is a similar bar I9 fixed at its ends to the posts 2, 3, and being connected. to said front bar It by a pair of spaced apart upright bars 20, 20, thereby creating three defined openings 2| between said bar I8 and bar 56. For support purposes to be presently disclosed there is provided an intermediate horizontal bar 22 extending between side bars I1, l8, in parallel relation to horizontal bars IE, IS. As stated above, the

frame i is preferably of aluminum construction with the members being so formed as to have a box cross section thereby providing maximum strength for the least amount of material.

Disposed between the posts 2, 4, and 3, 5, are side walls 23, 23', preferably of stainless steel, and secured marginally to the adjacent posts as by screws. Said walls 23, 23', extend downwardly from the side bars l8, respectively, to a point spacedly above the lower end of the bassinet A. The bottom margins of side walls 23, 23, are engaged to the lateral portion of a shelf 24 extending across the bassinet A and from front to rear thereof. Mounted upon the front and intermediate horizontal bars H3, 22, in elevated parallel relation to the shelf 24 is a top wall member 25 extending between side bars l'l, l8, and being of less width than the shelf 24, terminates on its rearward margin forwardly of the rear horizontal bar Hi to define an opening 25' therebetween. The upper surface of top wall 25 provides a conveniently located area designated at for dressing operations.

Affixed in its upper margin to intermediate bar 22 is a vertically presented back wall 26, the lower margin of which rests on shelf 24, while one lateral margin is suitably secured to side wall 23. The opposite lateral margin terminates spacedly from side wall 23 and is engaged to the rearward margin of a partition member 21, parallel to said side wall 23. It will be seen that the back wall 26 and partition 2! cooperate with shelf 24, and side wall 23' to form a storage space 28, with an openended space 29 extending from front to back, being created between partition 21 and wall 23.

Engaged to the under surfaces of front and intermediate bars I5, 22, are spaced pairs of runner members 30, 31!, for a drawer 3| disposed within the upper portion of opening 29. The rearward end of said drawer 3| terminates beneath said bar 22.

Provided within the opening 25 is a baby bed or cot generally denoted b substantially co-planar with top wall 25 and comprising a rectangular, angle-shaped support frame 32, a panel 33 mounted thereon, and a mattress or pad 34. At the normally head end, the frame 32 is provided on opposite sides with depending ears 35, 36, for free extension therethrough of a pivot rod 3'! fixed at its ends in the bars I 6, 22, and having spacer collars r 38, t9, engaged thereon for maintaining the frame 32 against shifting. At its other end the support frame 32 is similarly provided with a pair of depending ears tit, 4|, to each of which is pivotally engaged the upper end of a link 42, 43, respectively. At their opposite or lower ends the links 42, 43, are engaged in toggle joint formation to the upper ends of cooperating links 44, 45, respectively, which at their lower ends are weldedly secured to a shaft 45. Said shaft 46 is journalled at its ends in bearing brackets 41, 48, mounted on the rear and intermediate horizontal bars i6, 22, respectively. The shaft 45 projects through bracket 48 for extension forwardly through opening 29 downwardly of the drawer 3| and at its forward end is bent to form a crank arm 49, having a hand knob 50 fixed thereon. By swinging the crank arm 49 upwardly the shaft 46 will be rotated to effect extension of the toggle joints with consequent elevation of the adjacent end of the bed 17 into the position indicated in dotted lines in Figure 4 to present a baby in inclined or so-called Trendelenburg position so that, with the head at the lower end, mucous drainage is facilitated. The links 42, 44, and 43, 45, are so related as to require a rotation of the shaft 46 of substantially only to effect full upward movement of the bed I) from lower or horizontal position and return. Appropriate operation of the crank 49 will permit disposition of bed I) in any selected intermediate degree of inclination.

For enclosing the upper part of the bassinet A there are provided transparent panels 5|, 52, 53, 54, fabricated preferably of suitable thermoplastic material, such as Lucite, mounted as by screws on the adjacent members of frame I.

Secured as by screws to the bed frame 32 on its forwardly presented longitudinal margin is a separator or divider member 55 also preferably of a transparent thermoplastic, for delimiting the bed b and the dressing surface (1; said separator being planar normal to top wall 25 and having a lower portion 56 extending beneath said bed frame 32 to provide, upon tilting of bed b a shield for preventing any material or article upon the dressing surface 0? from inadvertently falling beneath the elevated frame 32 and onto the rear portion of the shelf 24. The upper portion of the divider 55 serves as a guard rail for the bed is and in conjunction with transparent panels 5|, 52, and 53 provides full enclosures of bed b. It is to be noted that transparent frame 54 completes the enclosure of dressing surface d.

In the usage of bassinet A, a hospital attendant need only lift the baby over the divider 55 and onto the enclosed dressing surface at to make the necessary change of diapers, dressing, and the like, without having to remove the baby from the protective enclosed upper part of the bassinet A. The shelf 22 and drawer 35 provide readily accessible receptacles for storage purposes so that each baby may be tended to with individually appropriated equipment. The transparent panels 5|, 52, 53, 54, permit visibility within the upper part of the bassinet A from almost any angle so that a nurse working in another part of the nursery can easily determine the particular position or state of a baby thereon. Furthermore, the said transparent panels effectively serve as isolationproducing means, making unnecessary the erection of partition walls as required between currently used basket-type bassinets.

The bassinet A is a self-sufficient unit comprising a complete, individual nursery in itself which substantially obviates the possibility of cross infection and which, by its mobile character, may be moved about, as into other hospital rooms, without the attendant danger of infection of the baby.

It should be understood that changes and modifications in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of the bassinet may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of the present invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. As a new article of manufacture a bassinet comprising a main frame, a fiat member horizontally mounted on said frame to define a surface for dressing and attending purposes, a baby bed disposed on said main frame in juxtaposition to said flat member, said bed being pivotally mounted at one end, means for swinging said bed about its pivoted end for presenting same in inclined position, and a plate-like separator mounted on said bed for disposition between said bed and the flat member and movable with said bed.

2. As a new article of manufacture a bassinet comprising a main frame, a flat member horizontally mounted on said frame to define a surface for dressing and attending purposes, a baby bed disposed on said main frame in juxtaposition to said flat member, said bed being pivotally mounted at one end, means for swinging said bed about its pivoted endfor presenting same in inclined position, and a sheet-like separator member mounted on one side of said bed for disposition between said bed and said fiat member, said separator having a lower portion normally projecting beneath said flat member for wallforming disposition adjacent said fiat member when the bed is in inclined position.

3. As a new article of manufacture a bassinet comprising a main frame, a fiat member horizontally mounted on said frame to define a surface for dressing and attending purposes, a baby bed disposed on said main frame in juxtaposition to, and normally substantially co-planar with said flat member, said bed including a bed frame pivotally mounted at one end on said frame, elevating means for raising the other end of said bed in upward relation to said flat member, a fiat, sheet-like separator member mounted on the side of the bed frame adjacent the fiat memher for disposition therebetween, said separator extending substantially from end to end of said bed frame and being in planar normal relation to said flat member, said separator having upper and lower portions extending above and below said bed frame respectively, whereby said upper portion forms a guard rail for said bed, and said lower portion provides a shield between said fiat member and the elevated portion of said bed when the latter is in inclined position.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a bassinet self-suflicient for individual baby care to minimize danger of cross-infection in nurseries comprising a main frame including corner-forming uprights and frame-rigidifying horizontal bars extending between same, a flat member rigidly mounted on said main frame in the upper portion thereof and within the space formed by the corner-forming uprights to define an upwardly presented surface for dressing and attending purposes, a baby bed including a bed frame disposed in juxtaposition to said flat member, said bed frame being disposed within the space defined by the uprights and being pivotally mounted at one end of said main frame, toggle means for elevating the opposite end of said bed frame for presenting the bed at desired inclination to the horizontal, a fiat sheet-like separator mounted on the bed frame on the longitudinal margin thereof adjacent the flat member whereby said separator is movable with the bed frame during pivotal movement thereof, said separator extending normally above and below the flat member to provide a protective wall regardless of the particular position of the bed, said main frame uprights projecting upwardly beyond the bed and the flat member, and fixedly secured, rigid transparent panels provided between the uprights in their upper portions to protectively enclose the flat member and bed so that a baby will not inadvertently fall from same, as well as to provide means for ready visual inspection of a baby in the bassinet.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a bassinet as described in claim 4 wherein the separator extends from end to end of the bed and is planarwise normal to the flat member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 925,916 Jones June 22, 1909 1,333,909 Firestone Mar. 16, 1920 1,688,200 Morganthaler Oct. 16, 1928 1,839,580 Myron Jan. 5, 1932 2,094,553 Shaw Sept. :28, 1937 2,280,913 Hummel Apr. 28, 1942 2,566,737 Merdian Sept. 4, 1951 

